May 29, 2015 3 min read

Drivers and parents are being warned by AAA East Central about what it calls the “100 Deadliest Days of the Year.”

According to AAA, car crashes involving teenage drivers spike during summer months, specifically between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

The organization said in a news release an average of 220 teen drivers and passengers were killed in crashes in each summer month in 2013.

That represents a 43 percent increase from the rest of the year.

“I would say there are more teen drivers out in the summer, which would tend to give us a higher number. Usually during the school year teen drivers are driving to and from school, they’re not just out driving around … They’re spending more time on the road during the summertime,” said Pennsylvania state trooper and public information officer Matt Jardine.

AAA believes it mostly comes to down to one major problem: distraction.

“A lot of kids are on their cellphones,” said Chelsea Pompeani, public affairs director for AAA East Central. “These kids are also usually driving with a friend. When you have passengers in the car, that is also an influence.”

Jardine said distractions don’t just come from the usually suspected sources.

“People have a tendency to get complacent behind the wheel. Their mind wanders, they don’t pay attention. They don’t keep their mind in the game,” Jardine said.

In order to combat this trend, high schools and police work to educate teenagers to make sure they are aware of the dangers that come with distracted driving and how to remain safe on the roads. At Peters Township, an assembly was held Friday morning to talk to students about making smart choices when driving, especially over prom weekend, according to communications coordinator Shelly Belcher.

“We also do events within our classes that talk about the dangers of texting and driving,” Belcher said.

These events have students doing activities such as going through simulations to show how using a cellphone can affect driving ability.

Jardine said police have multiple programs to help educate teens. These usually involve officers and accident reconstructionists going to high schools to talk to students.

“(Accident reconstructionists) are the ones that are out there, sifting through the wreckage, seeing the wreckage day in and day out. It’s easy for them to explain what they saw to their audience at the high schools and middle schools,” Jardine said.

AAA East Central stresses that parents should open a dialogue with their children and make sure they know the rules of the road and the dangers that exist.

“We want to make sure parents are setting a good example,” Pompeani said, suggesting that parents should turn off their cellphones and put them in the glove box when getting into the car with their children. “It’s crucial that they’re safe and that other drivers on the road are safe.”